aggie

Okay, so here's an update. I have two fuel filters, one in the boot close to the tank and one just before the fuel pump, neither show any sign of debris. Fuel pump is working fine, good strong delivery. There was no appreciable debris in the float chambers but the front needle valve appeared to stick intermittently so I have renewed them both. Carb pistons operate smoothly. I changed the spring on the accelerator arm for a much stronger one and, guess what, IT'S WORSE THAN EVER !!! to the point of being uncontrollable. I'm close to giving up on this, anybody got any further suggestions. O, the only things I haven't changed are the piston return springs, but I wouldn't have thought they would make that much difference. Alun.

I do have a return spring from the arm to the chassis but I'm sure it's not OE. It's one I got from Rimmers and is the same as the return springs on the throttle stops. I reckon it should be stronger but, naybe I'm wrong. Ian, I think I know how you know !

Thanks Johnny will try this. Alun

Timing should be ok. I've tried electronic distributor and points with the same result so will check the issues that you have raised. Thanks, Alun.

I have a strange problem with my MK 1 Spitfire. After a rebuild lasting quite a number of years and many setbacks ( not unusual ) I have finally taken to the road only to be hugely disappointed. When accelerating, especially in 2nd gear, it lurches forward ( rapidly ) and then dies down and again and again. Engine has been completely rebuilt, carburetters have new jets, needles, throttle rods,discs, float needles and jets. I have spent hours tuning them and she will tick over sweetly and rev to the limit as long as she is sitting in the garage. We drove this car for many years for 100010 miles all across Europe and never missed a beat, now I can barely make it to the roundabout a mile down the road. Only thing I haven't tried is a stronger return spring on the accelerator arm. I'm beginning to think that she is scared of going back to the road ! Any ideas please.

Thanks to both of you, at least I'm getting it from those who know. Now I do also.

What is the correct procedure for doing a compression test please ?

Hello all, I have just completed a service on the SU carbs on my TR4A including new jets, needles and throttle spindles. She started okay but will not run below 2000 rpm despite the fact that the idle adjusting screws are backed right off and the throttle discs appear to be fully closed. Tick over was always a bit fast but I thought that a good service would remedy this. No such luck ! Any ideas please.

I have just, nearly, completed a rebush of my Mk1 spitfire using Superpro. I say nearly because I have, so far, failed after a number of attempts to fit the two steering rack bushes. The poly bushes are 2 to 3 mm wider than the rubber ones and also slightly deeper. I know that things squish down when tightened but the fact that they are wider puts the U clamp out of position with the holes. Can the locating plates be repositioned to compensate for this ? I don't want to alter anything without being sure as I might mess up the steering geometry. Help please.

Hello and good morning to you all. Has anyone out there purchased an indoor car cover from Hamiltons as shown in the Club Shop catalogue ? If so, what are they like as in, does it fit snugly, is it really good quality,etc. I bought one from Ritchwood for my TR but it wasn't a particularly good fit and is quite thin. Fortunately it was a good fit for the MX5 so I kept it. Let me know please.

OK, so I've stripped the spring down, had it sandblasted and painted, and reassembled it with new ( modified ) buttons and new shackle bolts from my local workshop. Does anyone know if there is a recommended torque setting for the centre dowel nut please. ?

Did you get them from JP ?

Very nice too Pete.

Absolutely brilliant, just what I needed. Thanks,Colin. BTW, did you get the photo of my Spitfire? Alun.

C'mon guys give me some help. I'm going to do it but I just need some guidance. I'm assuming that if I take out the shackle bolts and the centre bolt it all falls apart. I know it seems simple but I don't want to bugger it up. I need one of you Masterclasses Pete/Colin.

Thanks Pete, that clears that bit up.

When I stripped down the rear suspension on my Mk1 Spitfire I decided to buy a new leaf spring. I now regret that decision as, compared to the old one, it looks and feels cheap and nasty. So, I would like to renovate my old one but having not done this before I don't really know how to begin. Do I have to dismantle the spring completely to change the isolators ? I guess that I really should in order to clean and repaint the leaves but, is it necessary. Also I notice that, having removed the old rubber bushes at either end there is a steel sleeve which is too narrow to take the new Superpro polyurethane bushes. The new spring does not have these sleeves and neither does it have any isolators. Any info on the process would be gratefully received. Thanks

Further to my original post, came to fit the new drive shaft and this is what I found ! Any body seen this before ? Yes, the bit at the bottom is the top of the diff casing where the spring sits.

Job done ! Thanks Pete. Why, on earth, does the workshop manual quote such a precise measurement when fitting the bearing housing ? To 1/1000 of an inch and it still isn't where it should be !!!

So Pete (Lewis), is what you are saying that I should fit the main ballrace to the trunnion housing on the bench, fit the backplate and outer seal, then place it on the shaft as far as the bearing allows and push it into position by screwing on the wheel hub ? Thanks Peter for reminder about the inner seal.

Okay, so I have taken your advice and obtained a new halfshaft from TDF, stripped the old one and started to reassemble. The Workshop Manual says that, once you have fitted the needle roller bearing and oil seal to the bearing housing, to then pass the shaft through the housing and the drift the ballrace onto the shaft and into the housing. Now, here's my concern :- once you start to drift the race into the housing you will be tending to drive the housing further along the shaft and perhaps damage the needle roller and or oil seal. Surely it would be better to fit the ballrace into the housing on the bench and then drift the housing onto the shaft. Your comments please.

Hello all, I have a problem with the yoke on one of the driveshafts on my Mk 1 Spitfire in that the hole into which the U/J bearing cap fits has become oversized. The Workshop Manual says that the shafts are not repairable but I'm betting that someone out there has replaced the yoke on a halfshaft ? If so does anyone have a spare yoke that they would be willing to sell me ?

All this is true. I still have the cardboard cover firmly in place and stapled a new gaiter to it but it lasted about two to three runs out. The fact is the the gaiters supplled today are absolute crap and nowhere near the shape or size of the original.

Thanks both, think I'll try to open up the gap first before removing the rail although that would, probably, be a better solution. I know it's only pop rivets but I recall that it took me a long time to pluck up the courage to put it back on in the first place! Wish me luck.

Thanks for that, unfortunately the gap is so tight that the hood only goes about halfway. I'm just wondering if there is some way to maybe prise it open a little. The thought of taking off the header and replacing it doesn't really appeal to me.